The invention disclosed herein pertains to apparatus for dividing a single file stream of containers being transported on a conveyor belt into a plurality of separate streams.
Apparatus for dividing a stream of conveyors into multiple streams are basically known and are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,684,800 and 2,308,154, for example. The separation process is used in container filling and packaging lines, for example, to supply containers to packaging machines that have a plurality of infeed lanes. For example, in bottle or can filling lines a labelling machine which requires a single file container infeed stream is followed by a packaging machine which requires a multiple file stream to package bottles in crates or cartons.
Existing apparatus for dividing a single file line of containers into multiple lines employs a rigid swinging arm which impacts the containers to divert some containers sideways into one line and other containers sideways into an opposite parallel line. One disadvantage of swinging a rigid arm into the sides of the containers to divert them is that a high level of noise is developed and, furthermore, the impact of the arm defaces or blemishes the surface of the containers, especially bottles.